Wisconsin National Guard less ready for missions than other Midwest soldiers?

Soldiers from the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry sit during a sendoff ceremony for the battalion at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis.(Photo: Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

MADISON - National Guard units from Wisconsin are more often failing to meet readiness goals than units from Iowa and Illinois, according to a USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin review of military grades in nearby states.

The review followed the news network's earlier finding that one quarter of Wisconsin National Guard units failed to meet Army standards last fall, a sharp drop from readiness grades found in previous budgetreports to state lawmakers.

Wisconsin National Guard officials have downplayed the drop, saying they've had no issues fulfilling state or federal missions required of them and the decline in readiness might stem from changes in Army standards.

Yet reportsand interviews with National Guard officials from other Midwest states suggest that Wisconsin's readiness grades are among the poorest in the region.

A spokesman for the Iowa National Guard said 92 percent of units last year and 94 percent this year met readiness standards, and an Illinois National Guard spokesman said 89 percent of units last year and this year met standards.

Iowa and Illinois' grades look at the readiness of Army and Air units while Wisconsin produces separate grades for each military branch. This year, all Wisconsin Air National Guard units were reported meeting standards but just 73 percent of the Army units hit the mark.

The most recent figures released by Minnesota and Indiana National Guard officials narrowly looked at medical readiness. In that regard, about 91 percent of Minnesota's soldiers were ready for missions compared with 88 percent in Indiana. The Wisconsin National Guard's budget reports don't include similar medical-only grades.

Minnesota produces separate grades for Army and Air units like Wisconsin, while Indiana combines Army and Air units like Iowa and Illinois.

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin also sought readiness grades from Michigan and Ohio National Guard officials, but they didn't respond to requests to provide them.

A spokesman for the Wisconsin National Guard dismissed the regional comparison as apples to oranges, saying each state measures readiness differently for local authorities. Capt. Joe Trovato said more uniform measures used by federal authorities reflect better on Wisconsin, but he couldn't share them.

"Wisconsin is doing just fine," Trovato said.

National Guard authorities in Arlington, Va. said the Wisconsin National Guard's readiness grades are "comparable to other U.S. states and territories with similar force structure." However, they declined to release any numbers, calling that information sensitive to national security.

"We don't see Wisconsin being in trouble," said Army Master Sgt. Michael Houk, a spokesman for the National Guard Bureau. "We're not reading Wisconsin as particularly out of whack."

Houk was unaware that the Wisconsin National Guard and other states had disclosed readiness grades in publicly available documents and to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. The Wisconsin National Guard has reported readiness grades in state budget reports for more than 15 years.

Army leaders use equipment, training and personnel readiness grades to look at the viability or risk of mobilizing units. Houk said the Army has been changing how it approaches readiness to become more sustainable. Now, some units are at peak readiness while others are held at a lower level based on anticipated demand.

"This means Army units fall across a spectrum of readiness at all times," he said. "However, the (approach) won't prevent the majority of National Guard units from responding to state and local emergencies."

In state budget reports, the Wisconsin National Guard says it aims for 100 percent of units meeting readiness standards. In Illinois, the National Guard aims for only 70 percent of units to meet readiness standards while Iowa's goal is even lower at 65 percent, according to annual performance reports from each state.

Aides for Gov. Scott Walker and Gov.-elect Tony Evers didn't respond to requests this week for comment on the Wisconsin National Guard's readiness. The governor is the Wisconsin guard's commander in chief under the state Constitution.

Trovato suggested earlier this month that the recent drop in the Wisconsin National Guard's grades might stem from the Army adopting a new numbers-driven approach to evaluating readiness, known as Objective T.

But he said last week that the Wisconsin National Guard had developed new readiness measures for itself based on the new Army approach and state goals. While the new measures showed 73 percent of units meeting standards this year, he said 92.5 percent would've met standards under the state's old measures.

The Wisconsin National Guard calculated how its readiness compared under the new and old measures after USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin began inquiring about its reported decline, Trovato said.

"In reality we've actually had no shift in our readiness," he said. "Wisconsin is being more aggressive in its reporting than is necessary."

Trovato said the state stills aims for 100 percent readiness, and even though the Wisconsin National Guard has repeatedly reported being at that mark over the past decade, he said, "You're never going to be at a perfect state."

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher said earlier this month that the Wisconsin National Guard's reported decline in readiness grades underscored a nationwide need for more military spending. Neither has responded to requests for comment since last week.

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Sgt. Robinson of Neenah holds his son Grayson, 4, after a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Family members gather for a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Soldiers enter for a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Soldiers from the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry sit during a sendoff ceremony for the battalion at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Platoon Leader Anthony Pinchuk of Green Bay holds his son William after a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Family members of soldiers hold signs at a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Soldiers who have previously deployed raise their hands during a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Soldiers gather for a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Soldiers enter for a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

A young family member of a soldier is held up to see during a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Family members of soldiers hold signs at a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry stand during a sendoff ceremony at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Soldiers from the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry look around Lambeau Field before a sendoff ceremony for the battalion at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Soldiers from the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry sit during a sendoff ceremony at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Family members watch from balcony at a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Family members of soldiers stand for the invocation during a sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Thursday, November 29, 2018 in Green Bay, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin